A former court of appeal Judge has blamed the death of an old man on Aweil police for detaining him over a bride price.
Ayuel Lual Yor’s son Majok impregnated a girl early this year in Aweil East County.
The unnamed girl’s parents demanded 11 heads of cattle – a demand the 62-year-old man could not meet as he had only one cow.
As a result, he was imprisoned on orders of local chiefs in Madhol Payam.
Reacting to the matter, the former Justice of the Court of Appeal, Justice Geri Raymundo, says the arrest of Ayuel Lual Yor was unlawful.
“That man would have been responsible for his act not the father, the father is innocent, even if the father volunteered to be arrested to save his son that was rubbished,” Justice Geri said.
“The father was arrested and put in jail which is unlawful and unconstitutional. The law has no provision on that.”
Asked whether local chiefs are mandated by law to order for the arrest of a person who failed to pay bride price, Justice Geri said: “The Local Government Act from section 98 up to 104 does not provide for putting someone in jail, it is not there and the law is very clear on that.”
“The customary Law gives you a time when you can pay the bride price because payment of bride price doesn’t need to be paid on the spot. It can be paid in installments until it is complete.
“The issue is not buying a lady or selling her, it is a creation of a relationship between two families.”
Judge Rymondo stated that the death of a 67-year-old man in prison is a criminal case that needs to be investigated.
“The role of the father comes to help his son but the issue has resulted into the commission of suicide in a police cell,” Justice Geri said.
“Now this is a different case, is it suicide or a man made, this is a criminal case that need to be investigated.”